Ainulindalë (J.R.R Tolkien Short Animation) 

The world was actually flat when it was made. It didn't become spherical until after the second age. The elves were awaken by the kindling of the stars. The lamps were destroyed long before the elves awoke.

For a long time, I'd believed that _The Silmarillion_ is actually *_too_* epic to ever be faithfully and adequately filmed. This video gives me a glimmer of hope...

This is completely epic! I am big fan of Tolkien, I readed several times LotR, Hobbi, Silmarillion, Hurin's Children and others. Very good job - Best wishes from Poland!

Extraordinario !!!!! Muchas gracias !!

OMG!!! Amazingly beautiful!!!!! Please more, make more videos like this!!

This is increadible and beautiful!

the artistic concept was incredible, it was very original, you are very creative hope to see more work from you.

A splendid work of art, truly. You folks did a great job. I should desperately love to see Fingolfin dueling Morgoth and the doom of Feanor. lol. I know it can't be easy and quick to put these together, but it was such a brilliant inspiring bit.

Superb! Absolutely superb! I never thought anybody could give such a concise rendition of this story let alone anything of The Silmarillion. It was as good as any prologue that we would have seen in a feature film. I can only hope that even more of the episodes from the book will follow soon. You truly know what you're doing if I might say so. - Take Care, Beannacht De Duit

Jednym słowem: "Zajebiste".

very nice..i like the music..

Your visual storytelling is fabulous!

i hope they add alot more lands and people in new works.... it only covers a small portion of this world, as it grows round im shore there were many more lands...

Amazing job,

Appropriate that you use the Deis Irae for Melkor.

Holy shit

But... the elves first awoke in Middle-Earth, near the bay of Cuiviénen, not in Valinor. The first thing they saw were the stars. Also, at that time Valinor was lit by the two trees.

To me the Ainulindale is one of the most beautifully tragic creation stories ever. Spoiler Alert: Melkor returns to do *terrible* things later, thats why it is tragic to me. A perfect and beautiful world, made purposely ready for life by wise stewards, devastated before mortals can arise on it in any very significant and lasting way. As I recall though I think the awakening of Elves is the last little bit of the Ainulindale.

Look, I'm going to cry. I would PAY to watch your stuff. I have been waiting decades to SEE this story come to life, knowing that if it wasn't done right, it would shatter me. I just can't wait for more!

This is how Silmarillion the movie should start: Girl with a beautiful voice: "Mother, tell me again of the making of the world" Mother, with equally beautiful voice: Tells the story in short, as eye-witnessed. The creation of the world, two lamps, awakening of elves, part of them going west, some staying behind. Then: "Your father also stayed". The story teller is Melian, daughter is Luthien. After the intro, story truly begins with Feanor and Silmarils. We return to Thingol, Melian and Luthien much, much later.

The children of Iluvatar were born after the lamps. After the trees of Valinor were made their dew drops were used to make the stars in which the elves awoke... In Cuivienen.

This is, quite literally, breathtaking. I'm lost for words. Thank you so much for sharing it with the world. :)

That's a solid attempt to build an imagetic representation of the cosmogony described in the Silmarillion! I belive if someday someone decide to make a movie of it, they gotta go from this, improving it. But i think they should try not to representate the gods with such a humanoid appearence, they are gods, creative forces, cosmic beings. But this is trully amazing!

Better than the Amazon series

Anyone else got chills at the end, when you saw the shadow of Ungoliant?

I really love the stylism of this- while the special effects may not be the best, the design is very well made to go along with the abstract nature of the Ainulindale.

I liked it but I thought that if someone would do something like this, they would actually know what happened or how it was described. If it were an actual TV series this would have been enough to not take it serious and ignoring must of the info they tell and show, until I get to upset about the changes that is haha. Not being 100% close to the book is one thing but changing that much just in the start, urks... Best example Arda was not round and it was flat with "tiny" bit of water in the middle and the two lights on each end, until they fought with Melkor destroying the earth underneath which created mountains. Beleriand wasn't destroyed before the elves appeared and them having one of the biggest cities protected by a Maiar (later on each son of Feanor claimed land near Angband too) oh and not to forget Valinor which was created to separate themselves from Melkor before the first elves awoke at Cuiviénen having just the stars as a light source for a long time until Oromë stumbled upon them by accident. The Elves never saw the light of the Lamps... SO MUCH elven history has happened before Beleriand was destroyed and here it was eradicated Same for making Melkor evil from the beginning. He was rebellious yes, but not 100% evil so a bit of red that would have expanded more and more ans the story progressed would have been a better way. If he had been evil from the start than Manwe is a complete fool in this scenario to believe there was still good in him, doubtful if he should be the leader the others should listen too But once again, fan project to it was nice to watch but not accurate...

This is beautifully done. I love the visual, music, and narrations. Unfortunately it's inaccurate. It would be epic for true Tolkien fans if the story was presented exactly like the book.

This isn't the ainulindalë, but it's the only one who have balls to do something.

Wow! Very impressive!! Great animation, fittingly epic music, and also I like the choices for the visual depictions!

4:50 Mairon aka Sauron, future Lord of the Rings.

Just want to say no matter how many times I watch this, that ending score is still so moving. Your composers and music crew should be very proud of themselves.

Still 97% more canon that RoP, great job❤️

I'm so choked up..tears and just blown away...I love how you used Christopher's reading to do the video...superb job. Saved, downloaded, and shared...thank you for this.

Anybody else treat the silmarillion as there bible? Lol

My god this is amazing. A masterpiece!!!! Amazon with it's millions cannot compete with you.

wow. like wow, dude! this is totally awesomeness!

It is as beautifull as incorrect. At first, Arda was not an sphere, but a flat disk contained in a bubble. It was not until the fall of numenor that Iluvatar changed the shape of Arda to make Aman unreachable for men. At first, there were no galaxies, stars or anything, just Arda sitting in the void. When created, Stars were not even the sun-like-but-further things we know. It is implied in some of tolkien writting that out actual universe is the same as the one created by Iluvatar, but it has never been clear for me how the simplistic empty universe got to become a universe full of planets and stars that are what we actually know as stars. Also, no elf ever saw the light of the two lamps. They woke up at the years of the trees. By that time, the valar had already adopted anthropomorphous shapes (in fact, they did as soon as they entered into Arda, if I'm not mistaken) Anyway, the first part of it was very pleasing, and gets the essence of the ainulindale pretty well. All things considered, the video is good and worth watching

4:52 good guy Sauron!

That is stunning. I adore Tolkien's creation myth, the way he takes influences from various cultures and makes it something new. This is wonderfully done, I can't wait to see more!

Nice work!But, where is the citation in your credits for Martin Shaw's narration (from The Silmarillion Audiobook)?

That was really really awesome. The only two inconsistencies I noticed were that the world was originally flat and that the first of the Eldar awoke by a lake under starlight... But whatever, the visuals and the music were breathtaking and the narration was perfect for me. Have you made / will you make more? Again, I loved this.

I am inspired by your work. But please make one that is completely accurate.

It's very pretty, but why do you not credit Martin Shaw (the narrator audio you have taken) or Harper Collins (the copyright owners) in any of the video? You give the false impression that you have created it, when you have illegally taken the existing audiobook and used it without permission.

4:51 was that Sauron? aka Mairon

Can I put lyrics in portuguese in the video?........Amazing job, I cryed when I whatch.

5:03, i spotted Mairon, later known as SAURON.

that was awesome!!!! few mistakes there (the world was turning spherical in second age , and elves woke up in complete darkness, after Ungoliant incident, that's why Morgoth got elves turned into orcs) But i loved it , seriously great job :D

the animation was fantastic! I just hope Peter Jackson would reconsider and adopt the style for SILAMARILLON. No offense to the animators, you guys are fantastic. the animation was and should have been for the SILMARILLON. ALL THE BEST!

But the elves didn't awaken to the light of the two lamps. It wasn't until way after their destruction that Varda made the stars with the dew from Telperion and Laurelin and that caused the elves to awaken.

Yet not all their labor was in vain one lamp they raised near to the north of Middle-earth, and it was named Illuin; and the other was raised in the south, and it was named Ormal; and the light of the Lamps of the Valar flowed out over the Earth, so that all was lit as it were in a changeless day So began their great labours in wastes unmeasured until in the Deeps of Time they came to be that hour and that place the habitation of the Children of Ilúvatar.

A child of Illuvatar thou art....

But one of the Valar, a strange fellow named Wirdal, or "Weird Al," ruined the music with his instrument which he called an Accordion, and thereafter he set out to parody in absurd fashion everything that Illuvatar made.

Beautiful! Although I agree with others that this storyline doesn't fully agree with Tolkien's writing :)

Holy Moley!! Here how I look at this masterpiece: Hardcore fans didn't have all the Hollywood resources -- but they pulled it off anyway. Super detailed. And the sound track!! I feel like I just saw a Double Rainbow. :)

1) Excellent animation. 2) Too few Ainur. They likely numbered in the Millions or even Billions during the Ainulindalë. And likely they numbered in well into the six to seven digits within Ëa and Arda itself (aside from the 14 Valar - 15 with Melkor/Morgoth Bauglir). 3) Arda, as originally "formed" was a world "Globed" only in terms of its Metaphysical Shape. The Ekkai was the Globe of Arda, within which was the Lands of Arda (Aman/Valinorë, Endor/Middle-earth, and Hither Lands). It was not until near the end of the Second Age that the Land was bent into a Globe (I can give you a specific topology that gives rise to uniform gravity on the surface, yet produces a Flat, or Spherical Cap-shaped - depending upon taste, really - surface for "Arda" prior to the Akallabêth). I am aware of the "Myths Transformed" section of The History of Middle-earth, Vol X: Morgoth's Ring. Tolkien seemed to be very conflicted with this version of events, as it would have resulted in the total obliteration of his earlier Cosmology and Events (He rightly abandoned it). 4) Beleriand, Eriador, and Rhovanion make up an area that is entirely in the Northern Hemisphere, covering an area roughly from Stavanger, Norway (in the North) to Syracuse, Sicily in the south (The Mouth of the Anduin is roughly near the Mouth of the Nile - the former pointing south, the latter pointing north). 5) I am not sure what the visualization of Melkor fighting another Ainu (whom I suppose you intend to be Manwë?) is about. Melkor at first worked with the other Ainur. His violent rebellion was not immediate. This is made clear in Morgoth's Ring, where we learn that what we probably hundreds of thousands, if not millions of years passed as the Ainur lived in Almaren prior to Melkor openly laying claim to all of Arda, and being rejected by Manwë, after which he fled into the Void. It was then many years (Tolkien states roughly 15,000 years - he does not say whether these are equivalent to the "Years of the Trees" or whether he is speaking of "Years of the Sun") before Melkor returned and then constructing Utumno in the far north, prior to his destruction of the Lamps of the Valar (Illuin and Ormal). I am working on a set of Screenplays for a similar project, which would set out Middle-earth's History from the Ainulindalë to the Return of the Shadow. But it is likely to be years before we are ready to do anything (We would like to see an actual license from the Tolkien Estate, but that is doubtful at this point). But seeing others working in the same genre shows that a more honest portrayal of his work is much in demand.

4:50 6:39 Sauron? Great vid anyway good job ;)

This is one of my all-time favorite videos on RU-vid it truly is a magnificent work of art.

The Eves did not awake in the Years of the Lamps (which lasted approximated 15, 000 years (solar)... It was much, much after... first,, Melkor came back and destroyed Illuin and Ormal and broke the symmetry of the earth. With the fall of the lamps, Almaren was lost. The Spring of Arda (a time without Melkor's evil) ended. Not until long after, the Valar retreated to Valinor and Yavanna created the Trees of the Blessed Realm (Telperion and Laurelin). About 10, 000 (solar) years after this the first elves would wake. The time difference in very significant as it would almost double (or more) the existence of elves.

I feel amazed by this. I've watched it continuously about ten times now, and still can't have enough of the musical version. I'm afraid that I have fallen in love with this movie, and now feel the urge to use it as a fanbase. There are many things I can imagine myself writing and drawing about this movie... Both transformative, curative and continuation fanwork. Transformative, to resolve some details, like the spherical Endor because it's impossible to make two Lamps appear like you showed them on a globe. Then the absence of Maiar: not seeing Eonwë fight feels like there is a little tiny flame missing in my heart. The design for Manwe's crown, identica to the rebellious Melkor's doesn't seem much probable, and neither does the architectural style of the Lamps; these designs ressembling more something Morgith would built. The Valië in the video sometimes move like males because of how they hold their arms (don't you even think telling me that Yavanna and Varda weren't there, by Manwë and Ulmo's side to help creating the atmosphere of the planet 🧐). Tulkas arrives too soon, before the fight and looks to slim and elegant for a wrestler who only value brute force and loyalty. The elves wake too early, before the two Trees in Aman. And who are the three Valar who look at them from afar: Oromë and two Maiar? If it is Manwë, then it's too early, because Melkor is supposed to have terrorised them first, teaching them to fear the Ainur before they meet the others. 🤓 Also who is the Vala who fought with a lance, if Manwe was the one with the crown? Curative, because from my comfortable couching, watching youtube, I can only see the beauty, the love, the artistic genius of it all and be amazed. The result is neither too masculine nor too feminine, it is just wonderful...and some passages in the Timeless Halls seem to beg me to develop them further. 🥺 And continuation, because I itch to write the first meeting between Ainur and Elves. I can't bring myself to think that they only met just Orome. I can't Imagive Nienna and the Feanturi no teleporting themselves by Oromë's side on the roads.

Nice video ,and a very good conception,but wrong really wrong .The Elves awoke after the lamps in night time,during the time of the trees,in Cuiviénen......Prove me wrong as my brothers ,and sisterS never joined the Ñoldor ,and are still watching, and we will still watch humanity 4 ages later...

This is so gorgeous. Beautifully made, my friend.

"But Melkor too was there from the first, and he meddled in all that was done..." (p 20 of "The Silmarillion" second edition, published by Houghton Mifflin) Melkor was first in Arda, not last as depicted in your video. He was there when the Valar arrived, or else arrived simultaneously with the Valar. "But at the bidding of Manwe Mandos spoke, and he said" 'In this age the Children of Iluvatar shall come indeed, but they come not yet. Moreover it is doom that the Firstborn shall come in the darkness, and shall look first upon the stars. Great light shall be for their waning. To Varda ever shall they call at need." (p 48 of "The Silmarillion" second edition, published by Houghton Mifflin) The elves awoke AFTER the time of the lamps (not during), which were assaulted and thrown down by Melkor. Their first sight was the stars in the sky, placed there by Varda Elentari. "The servants of Morgoth were filled with amazement, but the elves of the Outer Lands looked up in delight; and even as the Moon rose above the darkness in the west, Fingolfin let blow his silver trumpets and began his march into Middle-Earth ... Tilion had traversed the heaven seven times, and thus was in the furthest east, when the vessl of Arien was made ready. Then Anar arose in glory, and the first dawn of the sun was like a great fire upon the towers of the Pelori..." (p 100 of "The Silmarillion" second edition, published by Houghton Mifflin) "At the first rising of the Sun the younger children of Iluvatar awoke in the land of Hildorien in the eastward regions of Middle-Earth (p 103 of "The Silmarillion" second edition, published by Houghton Mifflin) Men awoke with the first rising of the sun, which came after the first rising of the moon when the Noldor led by Fingolfin stepped upon the shores of Middle Earth. Between the fall of the lamps and the rising of the moon was the time of the two trees, and outside of Valinor Arda lay in perpetual night lit only by starlight.

Just want you to know that I found this so moving I had chills and started to cry. The animation was beautiful, the music was great and the use of Martin Shaw's reading was awesome. The Silmarillion is my absolute favourite book and has been since I was 13 (I'm 28 now), I relate to it so much that I call myself an Elf and in a way believe these stories because they explain my love for nature, animals, stars and sea. For this reason though I would hate to see The Silmarillion made into a big Hollywood film, like they did with The Hobbit and LOTR, they didn't present them in the right way and would ruin this story if they made a film of it and the stories are so personal and a part of me. I'd rather they be adapted for a series of art films or anime, something that would display the full beauty of these stories in the best way, and not just be cgi fests to make money from.

This is really good! I would love to see something like this done without voiceover, only with music. Something like Fantasia, just telling the story of the Ainulindale with just music and images... This is definitely a step in that direction. Very well done!

4:39 - So Melkor's fighting created Ireland... haha, jokes! Great animation!

Hang on, you forgot to mention something, melkor sang out of tune thus marring arda, but the rest of the ainur countered it by changing their pitch, and after they all finished, melkor sat there feeling pleased with himself only for eru to tell melkor something along the lines of “remember I am a part of you, and you are a part of me, and everything you did or do is because I allow it. Once realising this, melkor gets even more mad (like a child whos dad has just said his attention seeking misbehaviour won’t change a thing) starts throwing even more toys around in a temper tantrum and the rest is history

This is so incredibly well made, so freaking good. I can't stop watching this.

... to be in it forever, until it is complete. So it'll never be complete? Or not for forever? We silly humans even in fiction can't help, but make contradictions, or understand infinity without making contradiction. Maybe infinity is a contradiction. By the way in the book it wasn't known if it was condition of Eru or just of their love the Arda, that they would remain it forever/ until it is complete.

OMG I was'nt expecting to see melkor in this but I wish you did the part where he's all icy with a crown of ice is well along with some flashing eyes. But still you did something that alot of tolkien fans been looking for even if its just a little. Bravo 👏👏👏

"Jrr Tolkien animation? Srly? Wanna be sued or what?

This is so good! Using the Dies Irae as Melkor's theme is genius!

It’s a very well done artistic interpretation but there were enough details missed that made it seem these JRR Tolkien fans did not even read the book but skimmed it. which I understand is probably for editing purposes The longer the video runs the more money it costs and I understand that. Still sadly for tokens fans who are obsessed with the Silmarillion they will always want more. I would love to see them do more in the future but they need to pay attention to detail in the right places.

Very artistic! I loved it!

The Elves did not awake until the fall of the Lamps. They awoke under only the starlight of Varda... hence their love of stars and silver and Varda herself.

awesome! big problem though. the elves did not awake until after melkor destroyed the lamps! the awoke under the stars which varda made after the valar retreated to aman, and to see the stars again is a major reason the sindar elves never completed the journey westward and why the noldor left valinor in pursuit of morgoth.

This was good but they were many lore inconsistencies with the Legendarium and Silmarillion

Didn't Iluvatar hollow Arda (the world) and make it round after the breaking of Beleriand? I thought originally the world was supposed to be disc shaped. Also the elves didn't awaken until long after the destruction of the lamps.

A magnificent depiction of the Silmarillion!?! this is what I call a loyal adaption, not that rings of power crap. And I love how you use the audio book for its narration. Martin Shaw reads it so well.

This is beautiful. The love and work you all put into this is humbling and inspiring, and your respect for Tolkien's work is absolutely apparent. You should all be proud of this fantastic bit of media. But...a couple things. (1) Didn't the elves rise with the stars, long after the lamps were destroyed? (2) The Ainur had to transubstantiate to physical forms in order to enter Arda. This made them finite and more specifically defined, and...well, physical. That's the whole reason Tulkas the Strong was able to overpower and subdue Melkor in martial combat. (3) It's touched on here briefly, but Melkor didn't just go wonkybonkers "GUESS I'M EVIL GUYS WHOOPS," the whole first chunk of the Ainulindalë deals with how Melkor developed his private thoughts, how he swayed many other ainur to his side, and his full blown existential crisis which is WHY he's committed to perverting and twisting Illuvatar's creation.

4:11 do I hear the Fate of the Ring theme? (from Howard Shore's score for Middle Earth)

As a long-time fan of Tolkien and worshipper of "Silmarillion" I must say, I'm impressed- this is really well made, in a spirit of Tolkien's story-telling, with good music in the background (Two steps from hell? :)). Anyway, I will proceed with your other works- keep them coming! ^_^

I'm petty sure elves woke up when the two towers were destroyed and Two Trees of Yavanna grew up.

SO EPIC AT 6:10 WOW THAT WAS AN AMAZING CLIMAX TO THE SHORT FILM. PLEASE MAKE ANOTHER STARTING FROM THIS POINT ON?

Superb clip, bravo ! My question is, why in the Hell do producers always feel the need to modify an original work (here it's in the animation itself, in representing things that aren't "loyal" to the book and its author), although that original work wouldn't have remove one iota from this animation's greatness? This is absolutely baffling, I can't understand this, except in evoking utter pretentious egos at work and trying to steel someone else's formidable work to make it their own... Like some unconscious psychological deviance even though it could be made in "good will"... I don't understand those people. Guys, if you want to be "creative" in that sense, then write your own story rather than trying to capitalize on someone else's work. What I understand though is why Tolkien didn't want anybody to create an animation or movie out of his work, as this clip can be an example why (a small example since the text is still from Tolkien although it's been cut; another would be Jackson's work, and many, many other books that were destroyed by their movie counter parts - all of them actually).

This is better than Amazon Rings of Power.

Tolkien fact-check: 2/10 The animation itself: 10/10

how do you have just that few subs? your skill and effort is just amazing o.O

Inaccuaries have been pounted out but still STUNNING! Very unreal - just great! Love this!

This is Tolkien's homage to the Old Testament and the Bible.

Tolkien version of the Book of Genesis, ingenious! Yep he believed in God.

7 people never read any Tolkien

Made by the true lovers of Tolkien's lore.

awesome one amid some flaws

Better than rings of power.

Amazing....I'm in tears

The only flaw in this is that Arda is a sphere when in fact it was flat at the start.

It's gorgeous!

Voice here sounds remarkably like the narrator for the Elric of Melniboné audiobook

Wonderful! makes me want to reread silmarillion btw what's the song at the end? i feel the urge to know..